By the time the girls reached the Captain’s cabin, the colour had drained from their faces and they were both reminded of what it was like to be seasick. The rosy colour in their cheeks was replaced by a green tinge and their good humours vanished just as quickly. Eloise looked even worse than Grace and even poor Sophie curled up in a corner whimpering.
Grace said crossly, “Didn’t Anwen give you something for this, healer?” The last word was emphasised just before she began to retch. “I think I’m going to be sick.”
Eleanor didn’t answer. She was already being sick, but there was a relief in being sick and she heard Grace and remembered she was right. She reached into her bag and found the strange leaves Anwen had given her. They looked a little like bay leaves. “Chew one if it’s really bad,” Anwen had said. Eleanor put one in her mouth and started chewing. She didn’t exactly feel better, but all of a sudden she no longer felt as if she wanted to die. Then she handed one to Eloise and Grace and even tried to put one in Sophie’s mouth, but Sophie just spat it out. “Chew!” she shouted, and opened her mouth to show them. They chewed. Then Eloise pointed at her and Grace said something, so quickly did the leaf have an effect at making them feel better, but she could not hear as the storm had become so wild. Eleanor realised soon enough what they meant as she saw the other girls’ lips and teeth turn bright green.
They might have smiled at that, but suddenly the ship felt as if it was rising, rising, rising, like an aeroplane taking off; only to be thrown to the ground again, then diving far below. It was a helter-skelter without the fun. They were climbing massive waves before falling into a trough of water the other side.
Next door, Edwin and Harry dared not hang their hammocks. Their heads would have been smashed against the wooden walls of the tiny cabin like conkers on strings. Instead they crammed themselves into a corner, backs against one wall, feet against another. That was how small the space was. They could see the seams of the wooden planks that made up the boat pull apart and then push back together.
“They should make boats of out iron,” thought Edwin, his blacksmith’s mind at work. “One day they must make boats out of iron.”
They were all like that for what seemed like hours, but if Grace had had a chance to look at her watch - which she had steadfastly wound every day - she would have known it was only 20 minutes since they had been sent to the cabins. Then there was a thunderous crash and the ship swung round and round, plunging in a most unpredictable way. The girls did everything they could to stay still in the cabin.
Minutes later, the cabin door was thrown open. “You must come at once,” shouted the Sailing Master at the top of his voice. “Come now and be saved!” He held out a rope and through the open door, they saw the top of the stern mast was broken clean off 10 feet above the deck. They saw Edwin and Harry at the base of the mast and saw that they were tied to it. At once, Eleanor and Grace thought of treachery, but the Sailing Master shouted, “It’s the only way to avoid being swept overboard. When we’re there, I’ll tie myself as well. God help us all.”
It was madness, but Grace and Eloise allowed the rope to be wrapped around their waists. Even Sophie had a rope around her. Then it was Eleanor’s turn, but as the Sailing Master wrapped it around her, the wind shifted again and the rope flung itself out tight as a piece of steel scaffolding. Eleanor was thrown to the side of the ship and clung to the edge of the deck, screaming.
“Help! Help!” Even though they could all see Eleanor, the scream was very faint and the wind whipped away the words. Harry, Grace and Edwin were tearing at the ropes around their waists where they had been tied, but they couldn’t move them or undo them. The knots had become soaked and the ropes tore at the skin on their fingers, making them sore and bleed. It was amazing that they could hear Eleanor at all. The wind was so strong around them that they could hardly hear themselves think.
The Sailing Master held on to the rope again to try and reach Eleanor. Then a gust came across the boat, and the wind turned the rope into a giant whip and threw him out to sea, never to be seen again.
“Help me!” cried Eleanor again. “I can’t hold on.”
Only Eloise managed to loosen the knot around her and she edged along the deck holding one end of a long piece of rope attached to what little remained of the mast. She reached Eleanor and grabbed a hand which gratefully wrapped around her own. The others were suddenly blinded by a squall of rain, so they couldn’t see what happened next. The rain stung on their faces and they had to shut their eyes.
As Eloise held tight to Eleanor’s hand, Guy of Caen crawled along the edge of the deck. His black cloak bellowed above and he gave the impression of a giant bat as the lightning started and lit the scene.
There was no way Eloise could signal or shout at Guy. Even with a tongue to speak, he would never have heard. She just hoped he would grab Eleanor’s other hand.
Guy’s cloak was finally whipped away by the wind, and he managed to stand upright. But instead of helping, he stamped on Eleanor’s other hand so that she had to let go of the deck with a scream and only Eloise’s feeble grasp was saving her from oblivion.
In spite of all the wind and rain, Eleanor could hear what Guy of Caen said to Eloise, “We must be rid of her! It is our duty to King Louis of France! Let her go.”
Eloise shook her head and uttered a groan from the depths of her belly. A guttural, “Nooooooooo!” emerged from her mouth. With all her strength, she pulled Eleanor towards her. Then, she scratched at the eyes and face of Guy of Caen, drawing blood and making him stagger back to the edge. He regained his stance before wiping his face and looking angrily at the blood on his fingers.
Suddenly, the rain squall passed and the wind changed. Harry opened his eyes and saw the wind catch the rope Eloise was holding, with Eleanor now firmly in her arms. It was whipped up and the two of them lost their footing to become a gruesome pennant, flying in the wind right over the edge of the ship. Harry looked on helplessly.
16. The Navigator
Suddenly the ship tipped right back in the other direction and Harry was looking at the sky, his back tight to the mast. He saw everything in slow motion. The rope was straight above him. Eloise and Eleanor were both forced to let it go. Down they flew, their backs towards him. Suddenly Eleanor’s body hit him and winded him, but he acted as a cushion and he had the presence of mind to grab hold of her. Edwin had Eloise and they tied them both to the mast, giving them temporary safety.
When Harry looked up out to the edge of the boat, Guy of Caen had vanished, presumably taken by the wind and drowned.
Eleanor opened her eyes and tried to think about what she had heard in the midst of her ordeal. It was impossible and despite the noise of the storm, the exhaustion of the adventure made her pass out into a restless and nightmarish sleep, with her head resting on Sophie. By morning, she had forgotten all about it.
Eleanor woke from the storm with Sophie licking her face. The rain was falling heavily now and it was pitch black all around. Eleanor licked her lips, but all she could taste was salt. Then the rainwater refreshed her lips. The touch of water was delicious. She was so thirsty. She needed more water, but where would it come from? That was when Eloise, who was tied next to her by the mast passed her a cloth. It had been torn from her voluminous robes, and she had wrung all the salt water out of it before letting it soak up the rainwater. On the other side of her, Harry, who had already had a drink, shouted: “Suck it! Suck out the water!” Then it was much better. Just those few delicious drops gave her back her energy and strength; the others had experienced the same. So Eleanor held the cloth up to the rain again to soak it through. This time she let Sophie suck in the water. Then, even with the strength from the drink of water, she lay down and slept again. This time there were just bad dreams.
When they all awoke, dawn was breaking. The sun was just peeping up in the east, though that could be the only indication of where they were. Then it vanished again behind dark clouds and the night returned f
or a moment. The clouds stayed to hide the sun, but the day gradually became lighter.
The ship was dipping and diving, out of control, but it did not seem to be in danger of sinking. Harry, Eleanor and Grace could make out figures on the deck. The Captain was moving around. There beside him was the diminutive figure of Edwin, hacking away at broken ropes and rigging with an axe nearly as tall as him in an effort to help make the ship work in some way again.
Harry suddenly realised he wanted desperately to be away from the ropes around him. He remembered the penknife he had put into his pocket just before he had gone to visit Great Uncle Jasper in his study. He hacked at the thick rope around his waist. The rope was made of hundreds of tiny pieces of twine wound together, and it seemed each one only gave way at a time. It was infuriating. Harry felt utterly trapped. Finally, it split. Then he was able to set Grace and Sophie free. By then, Edwin had managed to release himself and used an axe to break Eloise’s bonds open with one blow. That annoyed Harry after all the work he had done with his penknife.
The Captain emerged from the hold and came running to see them. “Thank God you are all still alive. We’ve lost the Sailing Master and nearly half the crew. Those who are left and aren’t injured must work all day if we’re to survive the night.”
Harry saw sailors toiling all around him. So much seemed broken. Barrels had broken free from their bindings against the side of the ship and had rolled across smashing everything in their way, spreading their contents aimlessly as they went. He thought they should do something to assist: “How can we help, sir?”
The Captain looked at them, three children and a mute maid. Instead of being sarcastic or telling them to go and stay out of the way, as a normal adult might, he took Harry’s offer at face value.
“I can spare no men to check the stores until I know the ship is water-tight and there are no more leaks. We’ll need food and water. There are injured men too who need help.” All of the crew looked battered and bruised. Harry had sore ribs from where Eleanor had landed on him, but he was clearly in a much better state than many of the crew. Some of them had giant splinters in their legs and arms. Others were crushed and being laid out in a makeshift hospital amongst the wreckage. Even the fittest looking were bruised and battered.
Eleanor stepped forward and pulled Eloise with her. “We can do that, can’t we? Let’s hope my herbs are still here. My book is safe under these robes and was protected from the rain.” She pulled it out of her pocket with some relief, unwrapping it.
“We have no idea where we might be,” added the Captain. “Without some guidance, I don’t know how we might get back home. I need to someone to discover what’s left of the chart room and the compass box.”
“We’ll do that, sir,” said Harry. “Come on navigator Grace. I think it’s time we showed our worth.”
The Captain could not be sure what Harry meant by ‘navigator’ Grace, but did not question it and said, “Thank you.”
While Eleanor and Eloise went off towards the front of the boat, the bow, to find the injured and some supplies, Harry and Grace turned towards the stern, to look at what was left of the chart room and cabins. Before they did that, they went up to the poop deck to look for the compass box. They had seen it earlier in front of the great tiller that steered the boat, mounted on a pillar and protected from the elements. It had not been protected enough. It had gone.
Harry was distressed and said, “We’ll never find our way now, not without a compass.”
“Yes we will,” said Grace confidently.
“How?” replied Harry.
Grace looked around. She was still nervous about being accused of being a magician or worse a witch. “Come down to the chart room and I’ll show you.”
So, this time, it was Grace’s turn to lead Harry.
The chart room was in chaos. The chart table in the centre of the room had been bolted to the floor, but all the drawers were thrown open. The Captain’s cot had been thrown across the room, and his spare clothes were all over the floor.
Harry smiled.
“What is it?” asked Grace.
“It looks just like your room at home that time we visited!”
“No it doesn’t! Anyway, I’ve no one to help me tidy up at home and now you’re going to help in here.” She stuck her tongue out at him.
“Oh, all right,” Harry answered. “Now what were you going to show me?”
Grace pulled the watch and chain from under her neck. First of all, she opened the watch. “I couldn’t wind it up last night. I hope it still works.”
She held the watch to her ear and gratefully heard the sound: “Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock,” before winding it carefully. “That’s good.”
“But how is a watch going to show us where to go?” asked Harry.
“Here’s how.” Grace opened the back of the golden pocket watch and held it in the palm of her hand. There, beautifully engraved with north, east, south and west around the side was a tiny compass.
“Now, if we can find some maps and my star chart, we can work out where to go. Easy!” she added confidently.
“Cool. You really are a navigator!”
Grace suddenly looked a little uncertain. Her eyes began to fill with tears. “I don’t think I am,” she said. “Do you think we’ll ever get home?”
“Of course we will,” he said cheerfully, but quite uncertain himself. He hugged her and then added, “Now shall we clear up?” knowing the best thing for both of them would be to be busy.
It took them three or four hours. Once Eloise came in and brought them a beaker of murky water and some very tough and salty meat to chew. But the salt in the meat made them want the water, however murky, and the meagre meal revived them. They wanted to ask how things were going, but of course they wouldn’t understand the answer. In any case, Eloise did not hang around long enough.
After they’d finished tidying, the little chart room looked almost normal - except for the pile of the Captain’s clothes on the cot. They both agreed it was not their job to clear up his clothes, however busy he was.
Then, they began to look at the charts. Some had great stains of water all over them, but others were quite clear. They looked different to any maps they had ever seen before. Even where places were marked that they recognised, the coastlines were different. Harry said they looked like Roman maps: all wobbly and wrong.
Eventually Grace said, “I think this is Cornwall on this one, with the sea all around, but the Scilly Isles aren’t marked.”
“The Scilly Isles?” asked Harry.
“Yes,” said Grace. “I’m sure that’s where Hell’s Bay is.”
Harry stared at some rough marks on the map. “Maybe it’s here.”
“They just look like rocks.”
“Well the whole place was covered in rocks, if you remember. The boats had to zigzag all over the place to get to the land at low tide.”
“OK,” said Harry. “If it is, how do we get to it?”
Grace was crestfallen again. “I don’t know.”
Then she added, “Why don’t you look at your silly book.” But she hit a nerve with Harry, who was beginning to think his book was rather silly. He bit his tongue and swallowed the sharp words he had been about to say.
Instead he reached into his pocket in the waxed jacket where his slim green book had been protected from the rain and the storm and said, “Let’s both look at our books.”
So they both placed their books on the chart table. Grace put the compass next to it and Harry asked a question. It was similar to a question he had asked before, but he thought he would try again. Harry didn’t see why the book should answer differently this time, “How do we get to Hell’s Bay?”
There was plenty of light to see by as Grace had opened the star chart.
The gothic writing on the page said, “Go outside, use your eyes and look for a false dawn at night.” Cryptic as ever, but this was a new answer.
Then something else happen
ed. It was as if an invisible hand was drawing. Slowly, ragged lines appeared and joined each other to form an island. Then another. Then more lines appeared and a funny symbol appeared like a little child drawing the sun with rays all round.
Harry was watching this when Grace said, “Harry. The stars have changed. And the watch. The hands keep moving from one time to another. From the time now to half past nine.”
Harry looked at the stars projected onto the ceiling and then at the watch. Then Grace looked at Harry’s book. “It’s a map,” she said. “It’s much better than these charts. And there’s the volcano.”
“How can you tell?” asked Harry.
“It’s smoking,” said Grace. “Volcanoes always smoke from the top of them.”
Then Harry looked again, and saw that it really was smoking. The funny symbol had changed into a tiny little mountain climbing out of the page. “Our books are working together Grace. We should’ve known we need to act as a team. We’re nearly there. We just need to think and work it out. What do you think we do next?”
Grace looked at Harry as if he was simple, “Come on, Harry. We ‘go outside and use our eyes.’ It’s obvious. Your book told you.”
17. Hell’s Bay
“What are you doing?” asked Harry.
They had come up onto the deck and again they had used what was left of the old ship compass housing as a makeshift table. Grace was lying down on the deck looking at the sky. Sophie had trotted across to join them and lay next to Grace with her legs in the air, looking intently upwards as well.
The Palace Library Page 8